Use of Cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata) as Substitute for Wheat Flour in the Preparation of Snacks

Cowpea is an important protein staple food commonly used in Ghana. However, its utilisation in
snack foods in Ghana is limited. Quiche Lorraine, a delicious French snack now adopted in Ghana, is
quite unpopular due to its high cost, thus making it a snack for the rich in society. This study was
therefore conducted to produce an affordable local version of Quiche Lorraine by substituting
commonly used wheat flour with cowpea flour. Non-dehulled and dehulled cowpea flours were used
to replace wheat flour at 25%, 50% and 100% levels to obtain the new product, named Kum-allory.
Proximate and sensory evaluations were conducted on the products using experimental and
descriptive designs respectively. One hundred untrained teenagers were selected purposively from
a Senior High School in Takoradi for the acceptability test. The nutrients composition of both the
uncooked and cooked samples were also determined according to the methods of the AOAC (2004).
Data was analysed using the ANOVA of the Minitab Statistical package. Results indicated lower fat,
but higher crude protein contents in the new product. The overall acceptability of the control
product was significantly (P < 0.001) better than the 25% and 50% cowpea-based products, but was
similar to the 100% cowpea inclusion products. The formulation cost of the new products, were
about 47% lower than for the control products. The new product could be commercialised to help
combat protein-malnutrition among the vulnerable groups in society.